Armed Protesters – Good Idea or Bad?

As part of the continuing “COVID-19 Crisis Theatre” being performed around the country, the expected, but late in coming, protests are finally beginning. In Michigan one protest featured openly armed protesters. This begs the obvious questions; are visibly armed protesters a good idea? And is this a productive approach? But there is a much deeper and more serious issue.

Let’s begin with the obvious. Generally it’s probably not a good idea for people to be visibly armed at protests where emotions tend to run high. To be fair, these protesters were law-abiding, peaceful citizens exercising their rights. This is a bit different than the violent, criminal behavior we’ve seen at protests from groups like Antifa and BLM. In general an armed society is a polite society.

I would also point out that it is perfectly legal in Michigan for citizens to be armed at the capitol, so the protesters were within their rights and behaving within the law. But is this productive?

The reaction from the gun-hating left was swift and predictable. Fear mongering is what they do best. As always, the protesters were labeled as evil conservatives and Trump supporters. State Senator Dayna Polehanki, a Democrat, described “armed men yelling at her” She added that “some of her colleagues were wearing bullet proof vests”! I can only imagine that these hysterical people live in constant fear of things in life of which they know nothing. The horror, the horror.

It’s interesting that as a society we’ve been conditioned to fear the sight of armed law-abiding citizens, yet we think nothing of seeing a dozen heavily armed police officers standing ten feet away from the citizens. Even Sean Hannity, a strong conservative and Second Amendment (2A) supporter got it wrong saying “the protesters endangered the safety of the police”. One could easily make the opposite argument.

The more serious issue is that the protesters weren’t supporting the 2A per se, they were there to protest the gross overreach and abuse of power by government under the guise of the COVID-19 crisis. The 2A is intended to allow the people to protect themselves from a tyrannical government. We don’t have that yet, but some would argue recent government behavior is moving in that direction. The protesters being armed, in this case, was symbolic but appropriate.

Americans should be shocked and outraged by the behavior of state governments all around the country. In California the Governor is creating a 20,000 member “contact army” to track down every COVID-19 victim. In Los Angeles the LA City Council (well known for their intelligence and rational decision making) has threatened to commandeer the properties of hotel owners that refuse to house the homeless. In Ventura County the government has vowed to track down each and every COVID-19 victim (forced testing?) and ensure they are quarantined (forced quarantine?). This in a county with just nineteen COVID-19 deaths in a population of 846,000. Government overreach?

As we begin to recover from the economic devastation caused by the unnecessary overaction to the COVID-19 virus I hope Americans remember. I hope they realize that the Constitution isn’t invalidated because politicians declare an emergency. I hope Americans ask questions and demand answers. I hope Americans demand change.

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Sharing a message I received today from JB, one of the leaders of TNALC.org. Very important read and please watch the video. Whatever happens in Michigan will have national implications.
””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
….”…In response to the peaceful protests against Governor Whitmer’s “illegal” COVID19 dictates, black Michigan lawmakers have summoned Black Panther (style) armed guards to protect Michigan public servants currently acting well beyond their constitutional authority in the total destruction of Natural Rights and Civil Liberties for citizens throughout the state of Michigan.

“YOU’RE RIGHTS ARE NOT ABSOLUTE”….
These chilling words appear in a stunning opinion written by Michigan Court of Claims Judge Christopher M. Murray, writing in response to a suit brought by five Michigan residents who sued the state on April 22 challenging the constitutionality of Governor Whitmer’s draconian dictates regarding her mismanagement of the COVID19 event… Judge Murray is now being challenged!

OFF THE RECORD – TNALC has been engaged by a group of Michigan citizens to provide Constitutional Foundations and underpinning for a number of pending legal cases filed against Governor Whitmer, challenging her Constitutional Authority to issue and/or enforce her draconian dictates that are causing massive financial, economic and health risks to every Michigan citizen, not to mention her “unconstitutional” suspension of the Natural Rights and Civil Liberties of the People at large, protected by both the U.S. and Michigan Constitutions. TNALC is working directly with Michigan law offices on this matter.

The Michigan cases have national implications. If the People of Michigan have Constitutionally Protected Natural Rights and Civil Liberties, then so does every other American in every other State. WE MUST WIN IN MICHIGAN and this is going to move very fast. No matter which State you live in, EVERY AMERICAN will be directly affected by the outcome of these cases in Michigan. DO NOT SIT THIS OUT! DO NOT MAKE TNALC SIT THIS OUT DUE TO LACK OF PROPER FUNDING!

WE WILL ANNOUNCE MORE DETAILS ON THIS SOON. As is always the case when TNALC engages, we do so quietly, behind the scenes as much as possible… and it means WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT IMMEDIATELY!

In the end, Murray’s opinion says, “Yeah, Whitmer is unconstitutionally violating all your Rights. But you don’t really have any Rights, just those we allow, from time to time, as we see fit…”

THIS IS NOT JUST THE VIEW OF JUDGE MURRAY OR GOVERNOR WHITMER… THIS IS THE VIEW OF NEARLY EVERY POLITICIAN AND JUDGE IN THE USA TODAY!……..”…

People who brandish assault rifles at a protest are terrorists. Period. All you folks here have a major double standard when it comes to protests. A black man drops a knee at a football game and y’all come unglued. Just imagine a large group of black men showing up at the capitol building brandishing these weapons.